The Green Tea/ Weight Loss Link: Is There Any Evidence To Show That Green Tea Really Works?

With so much talk of a link between green tea and weight loss spreading through the media, many people have taken to it as a "miracle" cure to finally help them lose weight. Although this ingredient has been used for a number of health reasons for thousands of years, it's important to look at the scientific evidence before buying into any fad.

How Is Green Tea Taken For Weight Loss?

Although some people may recommend drinking standard green tea to help aid weight loss, it's mainly promoted in extract form. The claims state that it helps to increase the metabolism which, in turn, helps you to burn off calories and fat more quickly. Some extracts also claim to decrease appetite to help avoid snacking.

Does Green Tea Really Work For Weight Loss?

The green tea/ weight loss link is still inconclusive - there's simply not enough evidence to know either way. Although some studies have shown that green tea extract can work to help people lose weight, it did not help people to keep the weight off.

This is why it's always important to use green tea or caffeine in combination with traditional weight loss methods such as watching your calorie intake and increasing physical activity levels.

Some studies have also shown that caffeine may help to increase weight loss very slightly. It may reduce your appetite temporarily, or boost your metabolism, but these are unlikely to make a significant difference to weight loss efforts. In some cases, this could simply be down to water loss - this is only a temporary effect and does nothing for your levels of body fat.

You should also watch out for over-hyped products, especially over the internet. The green tea weight loss fad has spread at lightning speed, and many shady supplement manufacturers are trying to cash in on this fact. Speak to your doctor before trying any green tea extract to make sure that it's safe to do so.

Are There Any Risks Associated With Drinking More Green Tea?

Weight loss goals can often lead to people making drastic changes to their diet, including increasing the amount of green tea consumed by a huge amount. As with anything, you should always be careful before making such severe changes to your diet.

Green tea, and green tea extract, is safe for most adults, and the most common side effects are upset stomachs and constipation. Since it contains caffeine, remember that it can lead to a number of other side effects including:

* Headache,
* Increased anxiety,
* Increased risk for anyone with bleeding disorders,
* Problems sleeping,
* Irritability,
* Irregular heartbeat,
* Ringing in the ears,
* Vomiting,
* Dizziness.

It's important not to drink more than a few cups of green tea per day, and to stick to recommended dosages of green tea extract. Always go to your doctor before increasing the amount of green tea you drink, or starting to take green tea extract. This is especially important if you have any prior condition or disease.

As you can see, the green tea/ weight loss link is far from strong. Green tea does have a number of scientifically proven health benefits, but weight loss isn't one of them.

You probably won't do yourself any harm by trying it for yourself, but never rely on one ingredient like this to help you lose weight without any effort.


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Research has shown that weight loss using hypnosis can give people the extra boost they are looking for. In fact, it has been proven that using self hypnosis for weight loss is more effective than using other diet and exercise programs alone

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